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Moral and National Education

- Important News

8.10.2012

Transcript of remarks by Secretary for Education and Chairperson of Committee on Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject

Remarks on Moral and National Education Curriculum by the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, and the Chairperson of the Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject, Ms Anna Wu, at a media session on 8 October 2012

Curriculum Guide of Moral and National Education subject formally shelved

The Government has accepted the recommendation of the Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject to formally shelve the Curriculum Guide of the Moral and National Education (MNE) subject.

Press statement by Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject

The following is issued on behalf of the Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject:

The Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject issued the following statement after its meeting today (October 8):

First and foremost, it is the unanimous view of the Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject that moral, nationaland civic education is an important facet of school education, and that whole-person development should include knowledge about one's country, understanding of one's national identity and awareness of such core values as inclusiveness and diversity in the wider society. Therefore, it is only natural that students be taught moral, national and civic education.

Remarks on Moral and National Education Curriculum by the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, and the Chairperson of the Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject, Ms Anna Wu, at a media session on 8 October 2012

Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 to Secondary 6)(Shelved)(The Government accepted the recommendation of the Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject to formally shelve the Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 to Secondary 6) (the Curriculum Guide) on 8 October 2012. The Education Bureau would not request schools to adopt the Curriculum Guide and would not use it as the basis for school inspection.)

Executive Summary of the Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 to Secondary 6)(Shelved)(The Government accepted the recommendation of the Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject to formally shelve the Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 to Secondary 6) (the Curriculum Guide) on 8 October 2012. The Education Bureau would not request schools to adopt the Curriculum Guide and would not use it as the basis for school inspection.)

Q(IV)-4. How should schools handle the “Moral and National Education Support Grant (formerly known as the Moral and National Education Subject Support Grant)” of $530,000 that was disbursed in August?A(IV)-4. Regardless of the modes of implementing the related education (i.e. moral and national education, such as values education, life education, knowing more about the country, civic education, sustainable development education, sex education, etc) and matters, schools can continue to use the Moral and National Education Support Grant that was disbursed in August 2012 flexibly for the preparation as well as learning and teaching of the school-based related education and items. For more details about this grant, please refer to the EDB Circular Memorandum No. 135/2012.

Q(I)-6. According to the Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide, are students required to shed tears whenever they watch the raising of the national flag, and is assessment based on whether students shed tears?A(I)-6. It is a misunderstanding of the Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide that “students need to shed tears whenever they watch the raising of the national flag”. This is not mentioned in both the consultation draft and the final version of the Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide. With reference to the “Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 to Secondary 6)”, examples of learning contents in Section 2.5.1 of the National Domain in Key Stage One include “learn about and respect the representations of the country, including the date of the National Day and its significance; the design and meaning of the national flag and national emblem as well as the occasions and regulations regarding their use; the etiquette of raising the national flag and hanging the national emblem; the meaning of the national anthem as well as the occasions it is played and related etiquette”. (Please refer to P.30 of the Curriculum Guide for details.)

Q(I)-5. Why is the Moral and National Education subject guided by “affection”? Will this amount to brain-washing students from a young age? A(I)-5. The curriculum for the subject is not guided by “affection”. Rather, it starts holistically from one’s “cognition”, “affection” and “action” conducive to cultivating students’ values and attitudes. “Cognition” helps students to enhance their ability in analysis and making judgments, and deepen their own understanding of values. “Affection” cultivates students’ empathic attitudes, which encourages them to put themselves into others’ shoes and become self-reflective and more understanding of others’ situations. “Action” encourages students to put positive values and attitudes into practice in their daily life, including making thoughtful and reasoned decisions. The three components are intertwined, and together they constitute a learning mode which emphasises and integrates both reason and emotion. Therefore, it is simply not true that the so-called “brain-washing” is involved and that an uncritical and unquestioning habit of mind will be cultivated. (Please refer to P.82 of the Curriculum Guide for details.)

Q(III)-6. How will the Moral and National Education (MNE) subject be implemented?A(III)-6. Taking the community’s views into consideration, the modes and schedule for the implementation of the MNE subject will be determined by the school sponsoring bodies (SSBs) and schools in accordance with their mission and vision, schools’ readiness and professional judgment. SSBs and schools could use their discretion in deciding how to handle relevant matters, including whether to develop the MNE subject, whether to implement MNE as an independent subject or adopt other modes, and the implementation schedule.

Q(III)-7. Does the government have a schedule for the implementation of the MNE subject?A(III)-7. Relevant matters related to the modes and schedule for the implementation of the MNE subject will be handled and determined by the school sponsoring bodies (SSBs) and schools in accordance with their vision and mission, schools’ readiness and professional judgment. Thus, the three-year “initiation period” will be abolished.

Q(IV)-3. What is the role of the “Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject”?A(IV)-3. The “Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject” chaired by Ms Anna Wu will continue to collect views and propose suggestions to the Government and the CDC on various issues about the MNE subject, including resources, teaching resources, Curriculum Guide, etc, from various sectors in society. The Committee will have a meeting in September to discuss the related issues.